


Apathy of Substitution

by iceprinceloki



Series: Forays Into Indecency or Daniel is a Poor Choice of Friend [18]
Category: Vampire Chronicles - Anne Rice
Genre: Anger, Bitterness, Forced Relationship, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Relationship Problems, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Threats of Violence, Threesome - M/M/M, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:01:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22858918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iceprinceloki/pseuds/iceprinceloki
Summary: Louis calls his old flat looking for Lestat but find a bitter and hurting David instead who is all too willing to tell the hurtful truth
Relationships: Armand/Daniel Molloy, Armand/Daniel Molloy/Louis de Pointe du Lac, Armand/Louis de Pointe du Lac, Daniel Molloy/Louis de Pointe du Lac, Lestat de Lioncourt/David Talbot, Lestat de Lioncourt/Louis de Pointe du Lac, Lestat de Lioncourt/Louis de Pointe du Lac/David Talbot
Series: Forays Into Indecency or Daniel is a Poor Choice of Friend [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1553704
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16





	Apathy of Substitution

The night after their discovery I woke before my partners and made my way downstairs to the parlour, where I curled up in front of the fire. My head was overflowing with thoughts and feelings. Armand had truly been through the wars, again, and as usual he tried to handle it alone when he didn’t have to. I wanted to stop him, I wanted him to come to us, I thought Daniel and I were approachable; I felt nothing was too taboo for us to talk about.

I huffed angrily as I thought about what Marius had done, I had never really spent much time with the Roman, and I had never thought much of him one way or the other; now I was sure I hated him. I was angry with Armand as well for not coming to us with his problem, I understood why he hadn’t but we would have done something, we could have figured out a solution if he had come to us. We could have found a way that wouldn’t put our lives at risk.

I was angry with Daniel for keeping Marius’ little clues a secret from me, I couldn’t fathom why he wouldn’t tell me and I felt he had kept us from resolving the issue sooner. The person I was most angry with was myself, that I never made the effort to try and talk to Armand alone where he may have confided in me; that I didn’t act sooner on my gut feeling.

The mystery of Lestat’s involvement bugged me now, the question hadn’t been asked the night before; we were so concerned with Marius’ cruelty that we neglected to ask about my maker. I wasn’t sure I would like the answer, I knew it wasn’t going to be a sordid affair with Armand; but what else would bring the blond to New York? Surely not me. I sighed and pulled my cell phone from my pocket and dialled the number for our flat.

The phone rang for so long I was going to hang up. David’s cultured British voice answered the call. ‘De Lioncourt and Talbot residence, David speaking.’

I swallowed around my unexpected jealousy. ‘Good evening David, is Lestat home?’

‘Louis?’ David sounded surprised to hear my voice. ‘No he isn’t, he disappeared before I woke up. How are you? Is everything alright?’

‘Do you know he was here in New York night before last?’

Silence on the other end of the line as David either reeled from shock or didn’t know if he should be honest. ‘I know he was there, I assume you know about Armand?’

I nodded although I knew he couldn’t see. ‘I know, he told us last night. He didn’t tell us why Lestat was here or what he had to do with it. So if you could be so kind as to let me know when Lestat will be home I’ll call later.’

David sighed tiredly. ‘Lestat will be home when he finishes disappointing Jesus.’

I felt anger and indignation spike my veins on Lestat’s behalf. ‘Trouble in paradise?’ I sneered vindictively; I didn’t appreciate David being so apathetic about Lestat.

‘Lestat came home last night and said he needs to speak with me on an urgent matter tonight, then when I wake he’s nowhere to be found and you are calling to speak with him.’ David was clipped and that apathy still poisoned his words; but I heard an undertone of resignation and sadness. ‘You tell me if there’s trouble in paradise….’

I was surprised and I faltered in my anger. ‘What do you mean? You think he came here to see me?’

‘Obviously he didn’t go to New York to watch Armand take it from Marius.’ David was still clipped and angry. ‘I know he went to see you because he told me he was going to see you. He was prevented from his goal only by hearing Armand screaming. He helped Armand get onto his feet when Marius left him. Gave him a bath and healed his injuries.’

I didn’t know what to say, I felt bad for poking at David’s nerves. ‘I shouldn’t have said anything, I apologise for hurting you…’

‘You aren’t the one hurting me Louis. We both knew this would happen eventually. Lestat has been hung up on you for over two hundred years, I’ve never competed with you and I never will. All I can ask is that you don’t rub my nose in it the way he tried to rub yours in our relationship.’

David sounded so defeated it unnerved me, I wasn’t trying to get Lestat back and I knew that if Lestat wanted me back he’d have come and taken me away while Armand was vulnerable.

‘I feel more and more like I’m just here to keep your spot warm until he wins you back, I feel more and more unwanted and used.’ David confided in a small voice, breaking the silence that had fallen between us. ‘I understand now how you felt when your relationship was crumbling.’

‘Lestat isn’t fighting with you like he was with me.’ I tried to reason. ‘You have always been able to give what I couldn’t…’

‘What if I told you he’s found something that he knows you can give him? Something other than the blood?’

That felt ominous, I felt my gut jerk down into my navel and I lost my breath for a moment. ‘He knows about the injections doesn’t he?’

David hummed agreeably. ‘He knows, he knows you are having sex with Armand and Daniel. He’s jealous that you’d let them have what he couldn’t. He wants to bring you into our bed when you leave Armand.’

I nearly gagged at the thought. ‘That can’t be true David! He wouldn’t do that to either of us.’

‘It doesn’t matter. I’m leaving him tonight. Lestat will never tell me the truth of how he feels and I’m done waiting for him.’ David said slowly.

‘David you can’t just leave him….I’m sure you’re just confused…’ I hurried to reassure my younger dark brother.

‘Were you confused Louis? Any of the times you left him?’ David said sharply, clearly not in the mood to go along. ‘You want me to stay with a man who loves someone else? You want him to pull you into our relationship when yours breaks up in light of what’s happened? You want him to make you bend under me? You want him to fuck you so hard that you scream and gag around my-!’

David was snarling into the phone, trying to hurt me, and succeeding. ‘Good night David!’

I hung up before he could answer me and I buried my face in my hands, pulling my knees to my chest. David had hurt me, not by being cruel, but by being honest. We both knew despite my refusal that Lestat wasn’t above forcing us together. We both knew he loved me, we both knew David had been brought in to replace me and punish me. I felt awful for advising him to stay, it was none of my business; besides that we both knew I was trying to keep them together so that Lestat would leave me in peace with my family. I was being selfish and thoughtless, punishing David for my own benefit.

Daniels hand settled on my shoulder and he drew me into a hug, I realized then I had been sobbing. Daniel pulled me into his lap and stroked my back to relax me. He had heard everything, he told me telepathically, David was out of line to talk to me like that no matter how he felt. But Daniel he was telling the truth, I know Lestat isn’t above such cruelty. Daniel didn’t understand, he didn’t know Lestat, I couldn’t hold his innocence against him.


End file.
